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Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
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Government Supervisors approve new redistricting plan



Politics: Horn Locks in RSF as Slater Adds

Escondido, Cries Foul

Gerrymandering is defined as, “to divide so as to give one political party a majority in as many districts as possible.”

According to county Supervisor Pam Slater, that’s what fellow Supervisor Bill Horn did when he mapped out a plan to wrest the more affluent areas of Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch and San Dieguito from Slater’s 3rd District to his 5th District. In return, Slater got the inland North County city of Escondido.

“The adoption of this new map makes a complete mockery of the process by Mr. Horn,” Slater said in a statement. “Mr. Horn’s action was politically motivated. He was defeated in Escondido in his last election so he sought to jettison this fine city.

“It is gerrymandering of the worst kind and a breach of the public trust by Mr. Horn.”

Horn, on the other hand, said that wasn’t the case at all.

He said he had to lose a city because of the mandated redistricting and wanted to keep together the North County cities along the Highway 78 corridor. They included Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista.

“The cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside are intrinsically woven together by virtue of shopping and business centers and will remain linked together as a community,” Horn said in his proposal to supervisors.

Escondido was the city Horn chose to lose. It moved from Horn’s 5th District to Slater’s 3rd District.

Horn’s plan also brings together Elfin Forest, Eden Valley and Harmony Grove in District 5. Those areas, along with Carlsbad, were split between the 3rd and 5th districts.

“This proposal anticipates growth, maintains equity between districts, respects topography, unites communities rather than dividing them,” Horn said.

Redistricting must be done every 10 years when new census data is recorded. Rapid population growth is what led to major changes in the North County.

The board will vote again July 31 to officially approve the changes.

The city of San Diego is in the process of mapping out its new boundaries. That redistricting plan is expected to go before the City Council by late summer.

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